Window managers, multi-head and Xinerama
I've never had a whole lot of success with running more than two screens on X. I say that on a system with three heads and on which I've run up to four for a laugh, but I'm not that happy with it so looking for advice. I have two nVidia cards, for a total of four outputs. I have these configured in xorg.conf using Xinerama. Although GLX loads and appears to work, I'm missing XRANDR and COMPOSITE extensions as these aren't compatible with Xinerama. This really limits me in the window managers I can run.. Gnome 3 shell, Unity and Cinnamon all die horribly, Compiz is impossible to get going, and many others just don't "get" multi-head. XFCE seems to work fine, which is what I've been using for a while, but I really miss having all the niceties of Compiz and Cinnamon. What setup do you use 3+ monitor multi-head on Linux? Cheers, Toby
On 13/11/12 10:53, Toby Corkindale wrote:
What setup do you use 3+ monitor multi-head on Linux?
I am using a sock Ubuntu install 12.04 with the same set up with 4 monitors all of different ages and resolutions. I configured it using the Nvidia tool and it all works fine for me. Gnome (classic mode), Xinerama + "Separate X Screen" {what ever that all means :} Cheers P
Toby Corkindale wrote:
I've never had a whole lot of success with running more than two screens on X.
I say that on a system with three heads and on which I've run up to four for a laugh, but I'm not that happy with it so looking for advice.
I have two nVidia cards, for a total of four outputs. I have these configured in xorg.conf using Xinerama.
Just for the naive like myself; prior to boot can you see four BIOS screens ?; I have a quadruple head video card where this is possible; but I didn't realise this was possible with two dual head cards. Is this a recent hardware feat ; or has it always been possible with Linux ? thanks Rohan McLeod
On 13/11/12 12:19, Rohan McLeod wrote:
Toby Corkindale wrote:
I've never had a whole lot of success with running more than two screens on X.
I say that on a system with three heads and on which I've run up to four for a laugh, but I'm not that happy with it so looking for advice.
I have two nVidia cards, for a total of four outputs. I have these configured in xorg.conf using Xinerama. Hi Toby Is it essential to use Xinerama? While my set up is simpler, with one card two monitors, I don't use Xinerama and am still able to drag across from one monitor to the other. cheers
Nic
On 13/11/12 13:15, Nic Baxter wrote:
On 13/11/12 12:19, Rohan McLeod wrote:
Toby Corkindale wrote:
I've never had a whole lot of success with running more than two screens on X.
I say that on a system with three heads and on which I've run up to four for a laugh, but I'm not that happy with it so looking for advice.
I have two nVidia cards, for a total of four outputs. I have these configured in xorg.conf using Xinerama. Hi Toby Is it essential to use Xinerama? While my set up is simpler, with one card two monitors, I don't use Xinerama and am still able to drag across from one monitor to the other.
If I only use the monitors attached to a single card, then I don't need Xinerama, and can use Nvidia's driver's multi-head stuff, which works nicely. However as soon as you throw two (or more) video cards into the mix, Xinerama appears to be the only option.
Toby Corkindale writes:
On 13/11/12 13:15, Nic Baxter wrote:
On 13/11/12 12:19, Rohan McLeod wrote: Is it essential to use Xinerama? While my set up is simpler, with one card two monitors, I don't use Xinerama and am still able to drag across from one monitor to the other.
If I only use the monitors attached to a single card, then I don't need Xinerama, and can use Nvidia's driver's multi-head stuff, which works nicely. However as soon as you throw two (or more) video cards into the mix, Xinerama appears to be the only option.
Is that historical or current? My memory matches Rohan's: that Xinerama has pretty much been gone for years (since about the xf86->xorg transition, I guess). I'd check, but I got rid of all my computers :-)
On 13/11/12 22:22, Trent W. Buck wrote:
Toby Corkindale writes:
On 13/11/12 13:15, Nic Baxter wrote:
On 13/11/12 12:19, Rohan McLeod wrote: Is it essential to use Xinerama? While my set up is simpler, with one card two monitors, I don't use Xinerama and am still able to drag across from one monitor to the other.
If I only use the monitors attached to a single card, then I don't need Xinerama, and can use Nvidia's driver's multi-head stuff, which works nicely. However as soon as you throw two (or more) video cards into the mix, Xinerama appears to be the only option.
Is that historical or current? My memory matches Rohan's: that Xinerama has pretty much been gone for years (since about the xf86->xorg transition, I guess). I'd check, but I got rid of all my computers :-)
Current as of Xorg 7.6 at least, which is reasonably recent..
On 13/11/12 12:19, Rohan McLeod wrote:
Toby Corkindale wrote:
I've never had a whole lot of success with running more than two screens on X.
I say that on a system with three heads and on which I've run up to four for a laugh, but I'm not that happy with it so looking for advice.
I have two nVidia cards, for a total of four outputs. I have these configured in xorg.conf using Xinerama.
Just for the naive like myself; prior to boot can you see four BIOS screens ?; I have a quadruple head video card where this is possible; but I didn't realise this was possible with two dual head cards. Is this a recent hardware feat ; or has it always been possible with Linux ?
Nah, I only get BIOS output on the primary video card's monitors. Likewise, I only get Linux start-up output on those as well.
Toby Corkindale <toby.corkindale@strategicdata.com.au> writes:
Gnome 3 shell, Unity and Cinnamon all die horribly, Compiz is impossible to get going, and many others just don't "get" multi-head.
Ratpoison... It's had working multihead longer than any of your choices have EXISTED. Of course, it's a WM, not a DE. It doesn't wobble windows, either.
XFCE seems to work fine, which is what I've been using for a while, but I really miss having all the niceties of Compiz and Cinnamon.
HTFU. Wobbling windows is not important.
On 13/11/12 22:18, Trent W. Buck wrote:
Toby Corkindale <toby.corkindale@strategicdata.com.au> writes:
Gnome 3 shell, Unity and Cinnamon all die horribly, Compiz is impossible to get going, and many others just don't "get" multi-head.
Ratpoison... It's had working multihead longer than any of your choices have EXISTED. Of course, it's a WM, not a DE. It doesn't wobble windows, either.
XFCE seems to work fine, which is what I've been using for a while, but I really miss having all the niceties of Compiz and Cinnamon.
HTFU. Wobbling windows is not important.
You have absolutely no idea what I'm actually talking about, do you?
participants (5)
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Nic Baxter -
Piers Rowan -
Rohan McLeod -
Toby Corkindale -
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